How to write an appeal letter for housing

Written by wanda thibodeaux| 13/05/2017

For those who do not own their own home, it's usually necessary to rent an apartment or similar property. To do this, you must fill out an application and, if approved, abide by the guidelines of the rental agreement. If your landlord, property manager or housing authority feels the application is insufficient or that you've violated your agreement, they may deny the application or ask you to leave -- the latter instance sometimes happens in college and university housing. You can appeal this decision with a housing appeal letter.

Type your full name, left justified, at the top of the page. Type your address below your name, and below the address, type any additional contact information such as your phone number or e-mail address.

Skip two lines, and write the contact information for your property manager, landlord or housing authority, using the format of Step 1.

Skip two lines, and write "RE: housing appeal." Skip another two lines, and write "DATE:" followed by the date. Skip two lines again, and write your opening salutation, followed by a colon. The salutation should be formal and addressed to a specific individual.

Skip two lines to begin your first paragraph. State that you are writing to appeal the housing decision made by the landlord, property manager or housing authority. Include the date of the housing decision and the name of the person by whom the decision was made.

Skip two lines, and remind the recipient why the original housing decision was rendered. It is permissible to summarise reasons in bullet points if there was more than one reason.

Skip two lines and, using quotes from your lease, housing handbook, rental policy or similar documents, refute as many of the reasons for housing denial as possible. If you cannot refute them entirely, as would be necessary if the denial was based on incorrect information, make a case for how you have rectified or plan to rectify the issues. Ask that, due to the reasons you mention in your refutes, the original housing decision be overturned.

Skip two lines, and tell the recipient how best to contact you. Thank the recipient for her time and consideration. Skip another two lines, and write your closing phrase, such as "In appreciation" or "Sincerely," followed by a comma. Skip four to six lines and type your full name. Skip two lines and write "Enclosures:" followed by the number of enclosures, if any, in parentheses. Enclosures are documents that are attached or included with the letter.